What to Look For When Choosing a Daycare Facility

While most parents will agree that they want to find a child care facility for their children that has qualified, compassionate caregivers and educators and that will stimulate their children on an academic level, there are other factors to consider in a quality facility. The reality is that your children will be in this child care environment for many long hours each day while you are at work, and these may account for the majority of the children’s waking hours until they go to regular school. With this in mind, you can see how critical it is to make a wise decision when selecting a school.

A Focus on a Strong Moral Foundation
Because your children will be spending so much time in the school, it is important to look at more than just the academic realm of education. These are your children’s formative years, and the school will go a long way toward shaping the kids to be ethical, moral citizens. With this in mind, you may consider asking to spend a few hours in the classroom observing how teachers interact with kids to develop moral character in the children.

The Ability to Visit or View the School as Desired
Many schools understandably have hours during the day when they do not want parents to visit. This typically coincides with nap time. It is understandably that it may be challenging to get 10 or 20 kids to all fall asleep for nap time at the same time each day, so it likewise is understandable that the school would not want a visitor to enter the room and wake the kids up during this time. However, outside of these hours, you should be able to visit the school and spend time with your kids as desired. Some schools even have video cameras set up so that you can log in and watch your children’s activities online.

Transparency With Regards to Cost
Another thing to look for when picking a school is transparency with regards to cost. The cost of the tuition and fees is something that you may ask about before you even tour the school, and this is because the school must be affordable for your budget. However, some schools charge additional fees throughout the year. You should inquire about these fees and should even ask other parents whose children are currently enrolled for more information about this. In addition, your school should provide you with a year-ending statement so that you can easily file for the tax credit and use this child care advantage to your benefit.

The most important factor when selecting a child care facility is ensuring that your children are well-cared for and properly stimulated. However, there are many other factors to consider as well. As you compare schools, focus on these additional points to make the best decision for your family. The Wee Watch Licensed Home Child Care website is a good reference if you want to find more information online.